Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-01
WILL, COKE REVISE HIS UTTER
ANCES?

:
Will Senator Coke find opportunity TO
depart from or even modify, materially,
the position he took regarding the pend
ing question, in his recent open letter,
published in THE GAZETTE? Is he dis
posed to essay departure or modihca-
ton? THE GAZETTE is hardly prepared
to believe he is, despite the fact that re-
cent editorial utterances Of the Waco Ex-
aminer have created the impression that
the stalwart Senator is likely to be heard
from again, and in a way that will sur
prise those who are satisfied with his
attitude. As it is now understood, the
inference drawn from the Examiners ut
terances is, that Mr.. Coke is gravitating
to the conclusion that he made a mis-
take in subordinating his views,
as a Democrat, to the authority of
state Democratic convention, when
higher uthority-to-wit, the last and
numerous national conventions-had
committed the Democracy, specifically,
to opposition to all forms and phases of
sumptuary legislation. There is slight
allusion, too, by the Examiner to an I'M
Outstanding and an agreement had by
Democratic congressman to oppose pro-
hibitiOn, no matter where it rears it's
hereticaI head. Finally, as the Examiner
hints, after putting this and that together,
Senator Coke will be brought to see that
the national Democracy has mapped out
and defined his course and duty as a
Democrat, and in good time he will
"come around" and be found where he
ought to be-which, in the Examiners
estimation, is no doubt in the
"True Blue" camp. THE GAZETTE
is not in Senator Coke's confidence.
It is glad to believe that it
enjoys his respect and is certain that it
deserves to-but it cannot claim to speak
with authority as to his views or inter
tions, save as he himself defines those
views and purposes, as he did in the open
letter which THE GAZETTE published.
THE GAZETTE knows somewhat Of Sena-
tor Coke, though; it has observed his
course very carefully for several years
and from what it knows of him believes
he will stand pat on his utterances in the
letter to Mr.. Gibbs. It is fair to credit
Mr.. Coke with sincerity and assume that
he decided on the course he believed to
be right, politically and moralIy-and
politics need not be devoid of morals.
And as to the matter of allegiance to
national, as compared with state
authority, there is no act or utter
ance of Coke's career to Justify
the conclusion that he holds ma
tional authority paramount. If there
is one man in public life
who has ever commended strenuogsly for
states rights and authority, in great and
small things alike, it IS the senior Senator
from Texas. Mr.. Coke was Wing in
1861, and the Wings are remembered as
men who held very strong national views;
they spelled nation with q capital en-"
and were not found to any great extent
in secession conventions. But in 1861
Mr.. Coke, Wing as he was, felt it his
duty to go-with his state, and his course
ever since has been consistent with his
course then. 1t is THE GAzETTE's
opinion that he is equally ready to
recognize state authority now and will do
so. Finally, Mr.. Coke is man who can,
when it is expedient and Legitimate to do
so, exercise about as much policy as any
other practical, profound politician, and
there are very few level-headed men in
Texas Gn fact THE GAZETTE doesn't know
of any who will advise him that it is
polite TO depart from the course he has
outlined for himself, or to modify the SEN
timents he has given utterance to. The
state convention, to whose authority Sen
ator Coke has bowed, whose declaration
he has recognized as higher law than
his own views, was composed of the rep
resentatiVe Democrats of the state. Pro-